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Show 16 APPENDIX TO PART Ill. with the various saYage tribes which surround them on all sides, ami who have been near ruining themselves several times, and oblig·ed them to apply for reinforcements from Biscay and Senora. A few years ::;incc the Tetaus carried on a warm und vigorous war ~gainst them, uut are now at peace and considered as their .fit·mcst allies. In the history of New 1\Iexico it may not be improper to t'C· conJ the name of James Pur~:.lcy, the first American who ever penetrated the immense wilds of Louisiana, and shewed the Spaniards of New Mexico that neither the savages who smround the deserts which divide them from the habitable world, nor the jealous tyranny of their rulers, was sufficient to prevent the enterpri~iug spirit of the Americans penetrating the arcauum of their rich cst<~blish· mcnt of the new world. Pursley was from neat· llairc1's town, Kentucky, which he left in 1799 . In 1802, with two companion~, he left St. Louis and travelled west, on the head of the Osa6C mer, where th~y made a hunt: from tltcncc they struck fot· the White rivet· of the Arkansaw, and in'cnded to descend it to Orleans i but, while making preparations, the Kans stole th ir h ~rscs. ']~hey secured theit' pcltrics and pursued them into the village. f hc horses were there, but the Indians refused to gi,·e them up. l'urs· Icy saw his hot·se, with un Indian on him, going to the water at the edge of the town, pur:lut.."<..lu· m, and wl· t 11 1u · s k· m· {e" n·p pc<1 OJ).C n the horse's bowels. The 1 ndiuu rctumcd to the vill.tgc, got lm g-u_n, and came and !>napped it at Pursley, who pursued him into the HI· !age with his kt.ifc. The Indian took refuge in a lodge sur~·ou ndcd by women and children. This ;:;truck the cbiefa with aston l ~:;lli)H·nt aml admiration of the" mad Americans," as they termed th clll, und they rctumcd the othe r horses to th e hun ters. ·1·1 11· s. anec·t l otc wa~ t·cl.tted uy u·,Lc.lers who were .1 11 the vi. ilag·e at t 1t e u· me. Jl Lu.· s le)· and his comp:tt.ioas th en returned to where they had buried their peltry, ::111cl dctcrmiltCd to pur!>UC the route by land to St. Louis: but !>OtnC persons ::;wlc th cil' h o t·~cs a !>cconcl time, whentltcy were nt no g-rci\t <h. stancc f.t ·on1 the Osagu n.v cr, on w 11 ·1 c 11 t11 ey 1r0 1. me d a roug: h canoe <1 ntl dcsc~; ndc cl that stn:.am. Nc"l' t l1 c enu.a nrc of the l\l1s· ~o lll'i they ovCI'!>cl thcir canoe and lost thci1· whole year's hunt, utlt saved their arms ant! usnntunition, which is alway!> the pri iiWI'Y O~J- ]. ect .I ll a<l c ~ert. I n t I1 e 11\v, 1l' !:isoun. t I1 cy met~1~\1 onsJ. cu I' --.I ll llis b.trgc, bound to the Mundancs. Pursley embarked wi•t h Jl •l lll Io1· t he voya~c : lu· ~ two compam· ons 1wef~red rcturnm· g to tl l C.i l' holllCS. On the.u · <UT.I val at the po.i nt o f c.1 e sll. nan. on, I1 1. s em p Io y c I" dls·J >atchcd )>ursl<:y on a huntl. llg rtnd trac1 l' llg tour, wH. 11 son1e lJ nn< ls of the l'ad'· APPENDIX TO PART III, lT c111cas and Kyawnys, with a small qu.tntity of merchan<lhc. In the ensuing- spring· they were driven from the pl .tins by the Siou" into the •nount.lin::; wl1ich g-i\·e birth to the La Pl.tttc. Arkam U\\') &c. &c. and it was th e ir sig·n which we saw in . uch amazing dbUll• dance on the head watvr:> of La Platte, 1 hl' tl' party consio;tcc.l of ncar 2 000 tionls, wi th I 0,000 bcH~ts. The Indians, kno \\ ing they were apJH'OXllll~lting to New 1\lexico, de termined to scncl Pursley, \\ ith his comp·ution::; and two of their body, into Santa Fe:, to lwow of the Spaniards if they would J'CCetve th em friendly i.llld enter into a trade with them. This bein ~~ ac c t.:ded to l>y t he g-o\'Cl'• Jtor ( 1\ llcnca::;ter) the lLdi.tn deputies re tut·ncd fo r their bands; btlt Pur.y/cy thought p roper to n.: llti.lin wi th a <.:i\ ii1zcd people, which tl fortuitous cvc.:nl k 1d tl1rown him among, a circum::;tance which. he <tssured me, he had ~Hone time entirely despaired of. He arri vccl Jt ·':lnta Fe in .Tune 1805, and had been folio\\ ing his trade, a carpcntet ·, evc1· sine._, at which he made a grc .. tt clc.;al of money, ext.:ept when working for the ollicers, who puid !tim little or uothi11g. lle was a man or 5ll'o ll g- nutu1·a1 sense and daunllcss intrepidity. He entertained me with numerou5 imercsting unecclotcs of hio.; nd\'cntures with the Indian:;, and of the jealousy of 1 he Spanish govern· mcnt. lie was once ncar bci11g hanged fot• making a tew pounds of gun-powder, whiclt he i11noccntly rlid, as he had been accustomed to do in Kentucky, but wh ich is a capital crime in th ese pt·ovulccs. He still retained the g un which he had with him his whole toUI·, and spoke confidently that if he had two hours start not all the pro\'ince could take him. He W3s forbidden to write, bu t was assuJ'tO he should have a passpol't whencve1· he demanded it, !Jut was obliged to give sccmity that he would not leave the countt·y without p<mnis. sion of the govcmmcnt. He assured me that he had found gold on the head of La Platte, and had carried .some of the virg-in mineral in his shot-pouch fot· months; !Jut that being in doubt whethp1• he should cvet· again be hold the civilized world, antl losing- in his min<l all the ideal ·value which mankind have stamped on that metal, ha threw the sample away: that he had imprudently mentioned it to the Spaniards, who had ft•equently sohcited him to go and shew lt. detnchmcnt of cavalt·y the place, but that conceiving it in our terri· tory he had refused, anti was fearful that the circumstance might create a great obstacle to his leaving the country. GeograjJ/zy.-llrsc AY lies between 33° and 24° N. latitude and !Oso and Ill 0 \V. longitude, is bounded on the north by New Mc~i· co, on the west by cnot·a and Sinaloa, and on the east by New Leon and Cogquilla. It is 600 miles in Jength from nol·th .. west to south• 16 |
